Menardue Consols Tin Mine (United Kingdom)

In 1795, William Jenkin of Trewirgie House wrote that as Toller of the estate of Robartes of Lanhydrock he had received application for a streaming sett in the parish of Stithians. This lay party below what is now the reservoir in the steep valley dividing Calvedra (e.g. "Colvennor") from Tretheague. Rich streaming ground, this was likely not virgin territory from previous trials: leave was granted to the company of men from several of the local lords "under an idea that they may probably cut some lodes of tin or copper by means of their streaming in the river".

After an interim of 50yrs, it is evident that the trial of the previous century was a success as under the name of Menardue Consols Tin & Copper Mining Company a further party was attempting to work the adjacent property (of that name). The Mining Journal received periodic updates flattering the mine's prospects (to fluff up share prices) and workings on two lodes were mentioned: that of Lannermouth, Carnebeane and a shaft called Andrew's was sunk 10fms. It is not clear whom the latter is coined after; it is not the name of anyone recorded in the company's name or that of the mineral lord.

It seems as though the party had gone off beat by the end of Summer 1853 as operations had ceased and a loss of £100 made with outstanding payments to the miners standing at £45. A CCJ was issued and Richard Goodwin, the mine's secretary, received a summons. It is said that he had disappeared to Great Treveddoe in North East Cornwall; the county was like the wild (south)west in yesta-year. I guess this is the equivalent to having your premiere weed-crop being rattled and flighting to a hermitage on the scillies...

It is said that the stacks of Wheals Lovell, Brewer, Trethellan, Treviskey and Tresavean could be seen from the mine; which is clearly nonsense as Treviskey is obscured behind a hill and Brewer never had an engine. World's first fake news?

Whilst there were no returns from the operations 1853-4, licence had been granted on two separate occasions to work for copper. This is quite unusual as there are at best only 3 recorded copper lodes in the Carnmenellis granite massif. Could this be the last of a rare phenomena? In 1856, Symons recorded a total of 5 lodes in the then knocked property.

Operations were undertaken 1830-32 on the property by a cost book company, but strangely no published record of this exists.

EDIT: It is possible that the streaming and mining operations above correlate with Stannary Court bounds registrations for 23 Henry VII (1506) under "Whele an Kerellow" (now Crellow). As stream bounds these would've fallen in the adjacent valley however in all likely hood were lower down in the coombe than the Menardue Mine, the bounds covered 100 virgates of streaming ground.

Menardue translates to "Black Rock", an unusual title given the granite county in which it sits.